INDEPENDENCE – Eyes on the prize… Let’s remember we all have the same goal… Unite for Indy…it doesn’t matter how we get there, or who delivers it….
Really?
Sorry – no. It actually does matter.
It matters an enormous amount, because in order for Independence to be delivered, we don’t just need people to vote for it through the back door, we need people to believe in it and be prepared to stand by our Parliament to deliver it and see it through.
Trying to manipulate an electoral system for one end, and one end alone, is exactly the sort of sleazy, underhand skulduggery that the public hate. Electoral game playing might be fun for analysts, single issue campaigners and political hacks but the public will not be impressed with this approach in the slightest.
Yet these “calls for unity” have been bandied about endlessly by those splitting off to Scotland’s newest pro-independence party – Alba – and those supporting them, over the past few days.
We are to unite in the quest for a “Supermajority” for Independence in the Scottish Parliament, embrace tactical list voting and strategise to get as many Pro-Indy MSPs in as possible, no matter if the public may ultimately rile against that.
But, hang on…. I seem to recall that we already had a majority for Independence in the Scottish Parliament in the last term. That we already actually held a vote, during that same parliament, in favour of a referendum….and funnily enough, won that vote.
Whatever superlative you want to stick next to the word “majority”, combining SNP & Green support in that parliament, meant we already had one.
What we didn’t have, as a party or as a movement, was the pressure that came to bear from one party having an outright majority. A “system breaking” majority, that conferred the ultimate, unequivocal decision, of the Scottish people to unite behind that one party & one vision. The power & momentum that, when the SNP broke the system in 2011, helped to deliver the referendum of 2014.
We cannot forget that the reason we were able to return so many SNP MSPs in 2011, was through an unprecedented amount of the electorate giving their “Both Votes” to the SNP. That enabled the election of a large group of additional members on the list vote, to achieve a majority.
Over and above the tactical & the political however, there is an even more important reason for me, in the question of how we get there.
To be clear – I want Independence.
I don’t want it at any cost though. I don’t want it by “playing the system”, hoodwinking the public, or by stirring up division to get our own way. That is not going to deliver a stable democracy. I certainly don’t want it just to change the flag, the building we make decisions in or what currency we use in the shops.
I believe in Independence, so that we can have a much better society for my children to grow-up in. I believe the only way to achieve the priorities of the people of Scotland, is to have their own Independent Parliament, which reflects their needs, wants and ambitions.
Like thousands of others, I too believe we have everything we need in Scotland to make our country a successful, Independent nation, we can all be proud of.
But I also believe that creating this new, modern, successful country is going to be the most important and challenging task any of our politicians may ever face, this present year, perhaps not withstanding.
The people we elect to take us there are important. The people we trust in that institution, to give an oath to serve their constituents, equally and without prejudice and favour – to give care, thought, analysis and in-depth research and consideration of legislation – that is a vital part of the democratic process.
The vetting arrangements for most political parties are long, arduous and very meticulous. These processes have their issues and sometimes wrong decisions are made that we come to regret, especially when they are rushed through.
Transparency from applicants is key in that process. Examining mistakes, reviewing social media, previous history and evaluating the skills, talents, commitment of the person applying, are all essential for the panel making the judgement. A candidate must be a fit and proper person, not only to represent your party but also each and every constituent who comes to them with their often heart-breaking, ultra-sensitive, and life changing issues.
In short, you have to be able to trust them. You have to know they have some basis of integrity, that they understand the requirements of public life, be prepared to live up to ethical standards and in general terms – be beyond reproach.
This does not mean that they must be perfect or mistake / gaffe free, even if such a thing were possible, or that they can’t come from a variety of backgrounds, employment, life experience and educational attainment levels. The more representative of the society they will be elected to serve, the better for democracy.
But that’s not what you are getting with Alba – a party led by a man who should never be trusted in public life again, through his utter lack of contrition of the standards he displayed behind closed doors over his term in office. The parroting of judgements about “unfair processes” or being “cleared of criminality” is not a carte blanche to absolve the behaviour admitted to with employees of the government while in the highest office in the land. Criminality has nothing to do with this.
Why would you want people who have ever thought it appropriate to publicly disparage individuals on the basis of their race, ethnicity, body shape, disability or health conditions to be taking on the task of representing our communities in parliament, let alone forging the basis for our new country. Why would you trust a party who can’t even check the recent tweet history of their candidates because they are only interested in what’s in front of their face.
Why, would you want someone of the talent, integrity and potential of Fatima Joji to be overlooked in favour of an ego driven manipulator who has had his day? Why would you want a man who has publicly spread anti-vax msgs, riled against homeless people and fat shamed and teased HIV suffers, in place of the outstanding talent and passionate campaigner that is Graham Campbell? Why on earth would you even look twice at Chris McEleny, whose name is surely out of place on the same ballot as Michelle Campbell after some of his comments on hostile blog sites that have done real harm to vulnerable women, in ways he seems incapable of understanding. That’s without looking at the fantastic Roza Salih in Glasgow or Danish Ashraf in Central, to name only a few of the SNPs fantastic and diverse list of candidates.
This isn’t building a radical new party with social justice, radical land reform and internal democracy at its heart. This isn’t even, “Independence, Nothing Less”. This is, “we want our own way, no matter what we have to do to get it”.
That isn’t democracy. That isn’t winning over the people. That’s the worst sort of “for the sake of it” nationalism, that has always stopped us winning over the trust of the people, who must not only vote for, but believe in Independence for it to be successfully delivered.
It isn’t that there is no place for Real-politick or considering the greater strategy of how to achieve your aims. There are quite a number of radical environmentalists in the SNP who would probably fit fairly comfortably into the Green party, but who believe that the best way of achieving environmental change in Scotland is through an Independent Scotland – which tactically, they can only see being delivered by a majority SNP Government. No matter how much respect they have for the Green Party, or those within it therefore, it’s Both Votes SNP – all the way – because that’s how to achieve a majority and win Independence.
How to achieve the ultimate aim – a fairer, more progressive, socially just, environmentally world leading, and peaceful Independent nation.
During the 2014 referendum campaign, the Yes movement worked hard to make it clear that the future of our country is not about liking or disliking one man or woman or relying on them to take us to a fixed destination. The same is true now. There is no Political Messiah. There is no place for ego fuelled conspiracy nonsense that lacks even basic scrutiny of motive.
There is policy, there is progress and most importantly, there are people whose votes deserve to be treated with respect and not like a game or a grand national.
We need to take a clear message to the Scottish Electorate and give them the positive long term vision of the country we want to continue to mould, for all our citizens.
For me, that means, progressive, socially just and experienced leadership. The clear choice is #BothVotesSNP
Lift As We Climb 